Lock The Gate Slams Department of Planning For Recommending New Coal Mine

BY JARROD MELMETH

The NSW Department of Planning has recommended a new coal mine in the Hunter Valley, on the same day a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of dangerous climate change impacts if coal mining continues to increase.

The report warns if warming was allowed to reach 2C, the world would risk hitting "tipping points", setting a course towards uncontrollable temperatures.

Carmel Flint from Lock the Gate said the recommendation to proceed shows the NSW Government is completely missing in action.

“Not only will this mine put the climate at risk, but new research shows it will take South Korean mining giant KEPCO one step closer to destroying a magnificent valley with state significant heritage values.

“The Department of Planning and Environment has cherry-picked the expert heritage information and moved only to amend the mine plan slightly when it’s clear the mine should have been rejected outright.

“Equally worrying is that there is no new information on Aboriginal cultural heritage impacts provided by the department, even though the Independent Planning Commission previously stated that further investigation was needed.  

“This mine will only proceed with the backing of the NSW Government, who at every step has allowed it to progress through the planning process despite the obvious and unacceptable risks it poses to farmland, water, and heritage.


“We’re calling on the NSW Premier to come and meet local landholders and visit the site as a matter of urgency and then to take firm action to end this dangerous mining proposal," Ms. Flint said.

Bylong Valley gets the all clear for new open cut mine

BY DANIELLE RIES

The NSW Department of Planning has announced the approval of a new open cut mine in the Hunters Bylong Valley despite the disapproval of the Lock the Gate Alliance, describing it as 'unfathomable'.

The assessment of underground water impacts, noise impacts on some properties and subsidence impacts or more than 17 thousand hectares was enough to give this project the all clear.

But, the Hunter Regional Coordinator for the Lock the Gate Alliance Steve Philips says the proposed mine will ruin the heritage of the site.

"This is an extremely picturesque and highly agriculturally productive valley that doesn't have any coal mines in it at the moment and the proposed mine would basically dig all that up.

"It involves digging up graves and churches, cutting up strategic agricultural land, digging up some really precious and irreplaceable Aboriginal cultural heritage sites and emptying this rural community".

Mr Philips also stated that the community doesn't deserve to suffer.

"Many of the inhabitance of the Bylong Valley have already been forced out. This is the injustice that happens with mining approvals in a state where before the mines even approved, there in there muscling people out of the valley and then they turn around to the government and say well we already own most of the valley so you should give us our mine now.

"Communities shouldn't have to pay the price for the government's addiction to approving coal mines".

Sign against mining in the Bylong Valley
Credit- The Land

Orica to Increase Ammonia Production

Orica has had its proposal to increase ammonia production at its Kooragang Island facility approved by the Department of Planning.

Under the application, Orica will increase its production from 350 000 to 385 000 tonnes per annum.

It into public exhibition in June of 2015, with returns coming from Newcastle Council, Fair Work NSW and the Environment Protection Authoirty.

No community submissions were lodged.

While ammonium production will increase, the application did not included the production of nitric acid and ammonium nitrate.

Bowling Club to Become Seniors Estate

The former Morpeth Bowling Club Site is set to become a seniors residential center after it was passed by Maitland Council and moved on to the NSW Department of Planning.

Some Councillors however fear that the development will lead to medium-density residential blocks built in the future.

But Maitland Mayor Peter Blackmore says "there's a need everywhere for retirement homes, we are an aging society ... we have five new new people a day making Maitland their home".

Councillors voted on Tuesday to rezone the site (Image courtesy of Max Mason-Hubers via The Herald)

"There are quite a number of people of course, who would like to move out of their three or four bedroom home and look for smaller accommodation".

"When we look at the township of Morpeth, it's a magnificent area, particularly with history".

The proposal will soon become open for public comment.